


Something's In The Air

by yeoniejjang



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops and Flower Shops, Fluff, Humor, Just two oblivious men, M/M, Minor Angst, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:14:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29414700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeoniejjang/pseuds/yeoniejjang
Summary: “Just- Jacob, just take it. My treat, it’s dairy and caffeine - What’s there to hate?”To Jacob, there was something to hate. Dairy.Especially milk. Yes, Jacob was lactose intolerant just like 68% of the world. And yes, Jacob had in fact searched this up after being curious as to how many people also got the shits from drinking this white liquid that came from cows.
Relationships: Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	Something's In The Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ddeonghwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddeonghwa/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! <3 
> 
> This is for @ddeonghwa thank you for always being by my side even when I disappear for a whole day ily <3
> 
> thank you to my besties for beta reading! sorry my brain is lopsided :-)
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys!

\------

The first time Hyunjae saw the bouquet of flowers adorning the snow-laden doorstep of his coffee shop, he felt something bloom in his heart. His nose and eyes, on the other hand, felt otherwise.

“ _ Achoo! _ Damn it.”

Although Hyunjae had always loved flowers, he couldn’t get within a meter of them without sneezing himself to the moon. These purple lilacs were no exception - yep, you guessed it, he had hayfever. Sighing as his eyes watered - mainly from allergies and partially from joy - he went to set up his cafe, his mind thinking of who the anonymous flower giver might be.

Just as he was adjusting the vase of flowers, the bell rang from the front of the store. Hyunjae whipped his head around, in the hopes that Eric would appear at the door, but past the tears blurring his vision, he couldn’t be too sure. Hyunjae wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his soft beige sweater to find out that, no it wasn’t Eric, but the ‘ _guy with unexpectedly big muscles who I ogle every time’_ , also known as Jacob, the man that delivers his milk. 

“Hey Hyunjae! Just got a batch of full cream and oat milk to deliver today. Shoot me a message if you need any stock ups on any other alternative milks and I’ll make sure to get them in the next deli- are you crying?”    
  


Jacob dropped the carton of milk boxes, his face scrunching up with worry as he quickly rushed towards Hyunjae who was sniffling as he adjusted his mellow brown apron around his thin waist. Jacob found Hyunjae beautiful, found that the soft lines and sharp edges of his face fit well with his witty but good-natured personality, and Jacob found himself falling deeper into the vortex of admiration for the cafe owner before him every time they met. Was Jacob ever going to confess his not so tiny crush on Hyunjae? Probably not, because he rather thought watching from afar was better than getting rejected and awkwardly delivering milk to someone who knew he had a crush on him. 

Hyunjae, on the other hand, panicked upon seeing Jacob approach him, and a squeak left his mouth as Jacob’s presence bursted into his personal bubble. Hyunjae  _ hated _ physical touch, let alone the affectionate kind. He was always high fives and handshakes, never hugs and soft caresses. Or so he thought.

“Oh God, no I'm fine! Just got something in my eye, thanks thou-”

Before Hyunjae could finish his sentence, Jacob’s hands were cradling his face, the warmth radiating from his palms contrasting the brush of cold wind on that winter’s day. Jacob’s face was merely inches from his own, eyebrows knitted as he inspected Hyunjae’s face. Hyunjae could feel the blood rise to the surface of his face, a rosy tint colouring his cheekbones and travelling down towards his neck as he hiccuped at their proximity.

“Why are your eyes so red? Is everything okay?”

Hyunjae didn’t dare to speak a word, the tension that bled just from Jacob’s touch suffocating, unhelped by the fact that Hyunjae was emotionally constipated for the blonde almond eyed fella. On cue, as if Jacob noticed the slight shift in Hyunjae’s facade, he released Hyunjae’s face like he had just touched a hot pan. A look of regret gleamed over his face before hiding under a crimson blush. 

“I-I’m so sorry Hyunjae, I was just wor-” 

Jacob stopped talking, his eyes following Hyunjae as he waved his hands frantically. Hyunjae made a noise of disagreement as he walked towards the coffee machine. Hyunjae’s blush was still prominent on his face like roses on the first day of spring, matching the one that adorned Jacob’s own. He picked up a cup of coffee from the counter before extending his arm out towards Jacob, avoiding any sort of eye contact just in case he burst into flames.

“No, I can’t-” 

Between poorly hidden sneezes, Hyunjae cut Jacob off again. “No, no! I insist! Take this coffee. It's a thank you for all your hard work.”

Jacob looked down, the dilemma at hand throwing off his ability to talk to the beautiful man before him. He really shouldn’t be taking a drink for free when all he did was deliver milk to Hyunjae every three days.

“N-no, I really shou-”

“Just- Jacob, just take it. My treat, it’s dairy and caffeine - What’s there to hate?”

To Jacob, there was something to hate.  _ Dairy. _

Especially milk. Yes, Jacob was lactose intolerant just like 68% of the world. And yes, Jacob had in fact searched this up after being curious as to how many people also got the shits from drinking this white liquid that came from cows.

There were so many milk alternatives that Hyunjae could’ve used - soy, almond, cashew or oat - there were so many options. 

“..Is it full cream milk?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah it is! Take it, take it! If you don’t, I’ll be sad.”

Of course Hyunjae had to say that. And how could Jacob say no to that? It was basically impossible. He’d send himself to jail if he were to ever reject Hyunjae.

“Okay, fine. I’ll take it.”

With the bright sparkle in Hyunjae’s eyes, he wrapped Jacob’s hands around the cup, then lifted his own up to his mouth in an O-shape, indicating for Jacob to take a drink... Right now... In front of him.

_ God fudging damn it. _

Jacob was planning to just drive off with the coffee and give it to Changmin, but he realised now that that wasn’t going to happen. He gave Hyunjae a slightly twitching smile filled with the utter conflict of love and hate before sealing his lips around the cup. Of course, if Jacob wasn’t terribly allergic to milk he would love every drop of caffeine and dairy he could get, but this was essentially drinking from the devil’s chalice and basically a  _ fuck you _ to his bowels.

_ Yep, I will definitely regret this later. _

However, all thoughts vanished from his worry-laden brain when he saw Hyunjae’s bright smile beam in all its glory, and suddenly, the cafe seemed to be coloured in the warm and perfect glow of the sunrise. And all Jacob could do was look at Hyunjae with the absolute adoration and hidden love saved for a man who shone beautifully on his own.

That was when he knew, with his gut already churning and his heart singing - this was what it felt like to believe in love and what it felt like to truly care for someone. 

With a last wave and an array of ‘thank yous’ and ‘no worries’, Jacob was off to his other job, as he planned the next bouquet of flowers that would find its way to the cafe’s doorstep in 3 days and how he would explain to Changmin that he needed a longer toilet break before the beginning of his shift.

\------

It was 7am when Eric finally showed up with his hair looking like a bird’s nest and his battered Nike gym bag slung across his chest. Hyunjae quirked his eyebrow at Eric who looked like he just woke up without looking at himself in the mirror before turning up to work. Yes, Hyunjae understands it's 7am and unlike himself, Eric definitely was not a morning person, but the drool stain on his lip irked Hyunjae to the point where his face contorted unconsciously.

“Sorry hyung, I snoozed my buzzing alarm cause I’m an idiot and slept another hour lol. Please don’t kill me, I came here as fast as I could.” Obviously, Hyunjae couldn't care less because he knew Eric slept like a log, but he didn’t expect Eric to use the backroom as his own dressing room, particularly given that Hyunjae had only hired Eric a month ago. 

“Go clean yourself up you look like shi- AchOO!” 

The shock that rattled Eric’s body was like a bolt of lighting striking his nerves, and he let out a yell of his own. Eric looked around, confused as to why Hyunjae was sneezing when the heater was keeping a stable temperature within the store. That’s when he saw the vase of pastel purple flowers that brought colour to the otherwise minimalistic beige-toned interior. 

“I have so many questions right now I don’t even know what to ask you first.”

Hyunjae gave Eric a pointed look with red rimmed eyes before he sighed, leaning onto the service counter with his head between his shoulders.

“The flowers were laid neatly on the steps in front of the store this morning. No note, no sign of who it was from, nothing. I love them, but my body is shriveling at the sight of them. Speaking of my body literally rejecting me, do you have antihistamines?”

Eric ignored Hyunjae as he searched up the meaning of the purple lilacs. Lo and behold, the first meaning Google presented to him was  _ Purple Lilacs: flowers for the beginning of love or first love.  _ Eric let out a boisterous laugh before wheezing slightly at Hyunjae’s bewildered expression, the cafe owner gripping the table till his knuckles turned white.

_ You can’t punch a kid, you cannot do it. Don’t do it Hyunjae, you know he might not even be laughing at you. Yeah, he ignored you to use his damn phone, but that’s just kids these days right? Right Hyunjae? Righ- _

“Purple lilacs represent the beginning of love, hyung. Someone is anonymously confessing their love to you. Maybe chivalry isn't dead. If I was him, I would’ve just messaged you a ‘you up?’ at 2am, cause feelings? No thanks. Peace out. ” Eric then strode into the back room with his chest puffed out like he had delivered a Ted Talk andHyunjae most definitely wanted to knock the lights out of him. 

_ That’s not how Eric reacted when their regular customer, Sangyeon, complimented Eric’s freshly dyed pink hair the other day. _

Hyunjae distinctly remembered the squeak Eric let out before he became a stuttering mess, which spiraled out of control when Sangyeon had cooed at how cute Eric was being. Ah, the boy had much to learn.

Eric came out of the backroom tying his apron on, his hair neatly brushed and the trail of drool gone -  _ thank god.  _ He stared at the flowers, a frown on his face until his curiosity got the best of him.

“But who wouldn't know you have hayfever, hyung? First of all, you dodge all the flowers on your walk home, secondly, you sneeze like a 50 year old dad if you stand within a few miles of any type of pollen releasing plant, and thirdly you usually keep antihistamines in your pocket, which I can guess you forgot today.” Eric passed Hyunjae a bottle of antihistamines before he started to set up the coffee station. 

“Okay but I don’t go around saying ‘Hi, I’m Hyunjae and I have hayfever’, do I? And I sneeze normally, thank you very much.” The bell rang at the front of the store, heralding their first customer for the day. Before the couple approached the register, Eric muttered quietly (although very much loud enough for Hyunjae to hear), “Yeah, say that again after you’ve proven you don't startle every customer in the shop and then I'll believe you, hyung.”

Hyunjae glared at his employee, his grip on the banister hung with coffee stained towels turning white again.

“I can’t believe I hired you, you piece of shit.” Hyunjae let out a long, exasperated sigh before slapping on a customer friendly smile as the couple arrived at the counter, all ready to order their coffees.

\------

“Who the fuck.”

It had been 3 days since the purple lilacs were placed mysteriously at the doorstep and now, Hyunjae stood in front of his cafe’s door again, looking down at a bunch of freshly picked pink camellias that rested lightly upon a mountain of snow. His eyes were already beginning to water and his nose had sensed the smell of floral disaster from miles away. Hyunjae pulled out his phone to search up these flowers as well. 

_ Pink Camellias: Longing for you.  _

Hyunjae started coughing, choking on his own spit as he quickly opened the cafe doors, flustered but still clasping the bouquet at an arm's length before discarding them next to the vase of lilacs. He quickly got ready for another work day, his mind plagued with  _ when the fuck _ and  _ who the fuck  _ and  _ what the actual FUCK  _ while rubbing his nose right off his face _.  _

He walked out of the backroom, tying his apron around his waist before staring at the pink camellias from afar. 

_ Sneeze town here we come. _

Hyunjae thought they were beautiful and whoever this mystery admirer was, clearly knew what they were doing with all these meanings and beautifully wrapped bouquets, but they  _ definitely _ didn’t know about his allergy.  _ Absolutely did not know at all.  _ Heaving another long sigh, he took the bottle of antihistamines from his pocket before walking over to the tap to get some water. One can never trust dry pill swallowers because honestly, how the fuck do they do it? They really were a mystery to Hyunjae.

Letting the medication work its way through his body, he looked at the blossoming pinks of the flowers and a smile unconsciously formed on his face. Whoever this secret admirer was had been thoughtful and had good intentions, but Hyunjae didn’t want to keep popping antihistamines if flowers kept appearing at the doorstep with no notice.

While Hyunjae dwelled on his situation, the bell rang quietly, and the sound of footsteps shuffled into the store, thus snapping Hyunjae out of his trance. Before Jacob had opened the door, he had seen Hyunjae smiling at the flowers, a sight that warmed his heart profusely. Still, in spite of his gently joyful expression, Hyunjae had the same sniffle and red eyes from when Jacob had seen him three days prior.

_ Was he sick? Is he going through a hard time? What’s happening? _

Jacob felt confused and worried for Hyunjae, unsure as to what had been hassling and dampening his mood. Jacob felt a tap on his shoulder, his new co-worker huddled in his knee length puffer jacket and arms holding his elbows tightly as he pleaded for Jacob to go inside by sliding his eyes towards the door handle. They were both holding heavy crates of milk, but Jacob wanted to stare at Hyunjae in all his elegance and beauty, even though he was furiously rubbing his eyes and sniffling every 5 seconds.

Seeing Jacob walk through the door had Hyunjae smiling from ear to ear, until he saw another man shadowing him as he walked into the cafe. 

_ Again. Who the fuck? _

Hyunjae's face fell, and he willed himself not to look at Jacob with confusion and slight disappointment. The hope of maybe dating Jacob that had built up in his mind was now breaking into tiny little pieces before him. 

“Hey Hyunjae! Just an order of soy and almond this time! Oh! By the way, this is Sangyeon he’s a new milk deliv-” 

“Hey Hyunjae, don’t you recognise me?” Sangyeon cut Jacob off while putting down the crate of soy milk. He pulled his mask down and took his cap off, the smile adorning his face prompting his eyes to slightly crinkle on the outer corners. Hyunjae gaped at his loyal customer of 2 years before the whole store was filled with his cackles.

“Wait a minute, Sangyeon? Is this your way of getting free coffee from me?” 

Jacob blinked, confused.  _ How do they know each other? Are they friends? Lovers? Are they dating?? Are they secretly married to each other? Is it over for me?  _

Sangyeon saw Jacob’s lost expression and the grey cloud that had appeared above his head before bucket-loads of metaphorical rain drenched him from above. That was when Sangyeon knew that Jacob had a gigantic crush on this very handsome and intelligent man.

Sanyeon, of course, had no intentions of dating Hyunjae, particularly as he had his eye on the pink haired boy that worked with Hyunjae. And, just on cue, the bell rang again, the person Sangyeon had been thinking about standing just a slight ways away from him, rustling the snow off his near-fluorescent yellow jacket. The weather had been getting worse as winter steamrolled into the new year. The snow pouring down outside was undoubtedly beautiful, but very slippery and dangerous.

“Hyung I’m here early this tim- wait, my glasses are foggy but I see three shadows that look like people. Who are you and before you answer, know that you can’t steal from me, I have no money. I’m a broke uni student, I eat the rich to look like this.” 

If someone had told Sangyeon that this was the boy he would have a crush on a few years ago, he would’ve laughed. Now, however, he could barely take his eyes off of Eric. Sangyeon chuckled lightly at him before turning to Jacob, watching as his expression grew even more bewildered than before. 

“Jacob, I’m a regular customer at this store,” he explained. Before saying anything else, he leaned in and whispered so his words were only audible to Jacob. “And no, I’m not hankering after Mr. Cafe owner, my eyes are on foggy glasses over there.”

Jacob stared at Sangyeon as he processed what he just said. Sangyeon had read him like a book and now his friend has the information to completely ruin his love life. Sangyeon smirked back at a doe-eyed Jacob, before smiling sweetly at Eric, who was in the middle of cleaning his glasses furiously with the sleeve of his jacket. 

When Eric put his glasses back on and realised who the other two entities were, he smacked a hand over his mouth as his face bloomed with a pink hue. Without saying a word, he shot straight into the back room, before slamming the door shut. 

All three of them stood in silence as they ruminated over their own thoughts, until a muffled yell tumbled out the back and engulfed the entire cafe. All Hyunjae could do was shrug his shoulders at Jacob before shifting his eyes towards Sangyeon.

“Sangyeon, you’ve broken my only co-worker. Please repair all the damages done to Eric before I take out your kneecaps.”

And because Eric stoutly refused to leave the backroom, Hyunjae kicked Sangyeon and Jacob out of his cafe with their coffees that were, quite obviously, made with love and full cream milk.

\------

After finishing their milk runs at various other cafes around the area, Sangyeon had decided to go back to Hyunjae’s cafe to see Eric, which left Jacob with a shift at the flower shop with his boss.

He loved working at the store where the owner, Changmin, was more of a friend than a boss to him. Changmin was also someone Jacob could vent to and was someone who knew all about his attachment to Hyunjae - the stories of Jacob’s flower delivering, his stuttering whenever faced with what Jacob describe as ‘a face handcrafted by God’ and how, as a lactose intolerant being, he had knocked back a full cup of coffee and full cream milk that landed him in the toilet for an hour while Changmin paced outside, worried that he had passed out in the store’s bathroom. 

As such, as he watered the flowers on a sunny Tuesday morning, Jacob looked over at Changmin with a look of despair before saying, “Hyunjae has been sniffling and crying every time I see him.”

Changmin slowly turned from his red themed flower arrangement, his eyebrows knitted together with creases deepening above his nose. This was the first time Changmin had seen Jacob so despondent and downcast. His concern only increased as the spray of water coming out of the hose in Jacob’s hand slowly came to a halt and Jacob’s head wilted like a sunflower on a cloudy day.

“Was his mood any different than usual? Was he doing anything else other than sniffling?”

Changmin had been a florist for 5 years now, and his expertise and experience with numerous customers had given him a lot of insight as to what emotions might lead a person to cry, whether it was a bouquet for a break up, arrangements for a funeral or even the happiness of a proposal. 

There were many, and Changmin had personally been given a bouquet of flowers that ended a relationship thus shattering his heart, a pain only exacerbated by the knowledge that his partner had still been in love with him. But the gulf between them was too wide, and the bridge they built just wasn’t stable enough for the both of them. Changmin hadn’t said a word to Jacob, not because he didn't trust him, but instead to keep that wall around his heart that was still recovering from a disastrous shipwreck that had sunk towards the bottom of the ocean, lost and hidden to others but only known to himself. 

Changmin looked up towards Jacob, pushing aside his own feelings to help out a friend in need.

“He did sneeze quite a bit around a week ago, but I just thought he was a bit sick,” Jacob mutters glumly.

_ Oh yeah, Changmin was definitely not thinking about his own situation right now.  _ Had Jacob not noticed why Hyunjae had been like this, especially when he’d already delivered two very big bouquets of flowers to him?

_ Flowers, sneezing, red rimmed eyes and tears, the puzzle pieces are right there.  _ Changmin heaved a long sigh that travelled from deep within his lungs before pointing a red dahlia at Jacob.

“Jacob, listen. When a person is around flora of any sort and they are either crying, have red eyes and are sneezing or sniffling, what do you think that indicates, hm?”

Jacob stared back, clearly confused and oblivious, as he tried to understand what Changmin was trying to say.

“Um.. that they are going through a hard time and the flowers are not related to the situation at all? Just cause you’re a florist, doesn’t mean people only cry when they get flowers.”

Changmin looked straight into Jacobs eyes, frustrated that Jacob still clearly didn’t understand the point he was trying to get through.

“Why would a person sneeze when they CRY, JACOB?”

“So what you’re saying I-”

“He has hayfever. Hyunjae’s basically allergic to flora, Cob.”

“Well, damn.”

Changmin rolled his eyes at Jacob, who stood there dumbfounded by the information, his whole view on Hyunjae’s well being turned on its head. Although Changmin thought Jacob was a very heartwarming and intellectual person, sometimes,  _ just sometimes,  _ he could not seem to take a hint.

“At least you’re not the only one at fault. He’s giving you full cream milk like your asshole doesn't already feel like its about to get ripped apa-”

“Changmin. If you do not shut up I will spray you with this damn hose.”

Changmin nonchalantly shrugged and went back to his dahlias while Jacob returned to watering the flowers again, dwelling on how he might be able to apologise to Hyunjae without giving him another bouquet of flowers. Changmin ended up scolding Jacob for nearly overwatering his plants, and sent him away on delivery just to keep him from destroying all the plants in the store.

And in that moment he realised how grateful he was to have Changmin by his side - even thoughJacob knew Changmin was a very closed off person, he clearly still very much cared.

\------

“Hey hyung, why are there so many flowers in your store all of a sudden? Don’t you have hayfever?”

Hyunjae looked at his new regular customer, Sunwoo, who made a dramatic appearance the other day by slamming his cafe door open and screaming and dancing to Icy by Itzy just because he was covered in snow. Hyunjae had stared at him hoping, and silently begging, for him to stop for the sake of his own sanity. Since then, Sunwoo had become a daily regular, coming in before and sometimes after he finished his soccer practice at the indoor field across the street.

“Someone has been leaving them at my door and I don’t know who it is, but they’re really beautiful so I just take antihistamines to withstand them until they wilt,” Hyunjae explained as he busied himself with the cash register.

Sunwoo inspected the bouquets, an inkling of familiarity tickling his mind as he wondered where he had seen such arrangements. They were unique, with their own style and their own flare of inspiration, telling a story with every curve and colour used, each flower shining in its own beauty. Sunwoo suddenly felt the intense pang of a recollection coming to the fore, one that made him nauseated upon realising who the flowers reminded him of.  _ Changmin.  _ Before he could think any further, Hyunjae drew his attention back by waving his hand in front of Sunwoo’s face.

“Hey, I have a question. Say, hypothetically, I give his guy a coffee for free but he keeps refusing it until I make him take it. Why does he not want coffee? Maybe he drinks hot chocolate? Am I doing something wrong?”

Sunwoo stared blankly at Hyunjae, his words rendering Sunwoo utterly speechless.  _ And to think Hyunjae said I had my head in the clouds.  _ Sunwoo stroked his imaginary beard, feigning a look of deep contemplation before he exaggerated an  _ aha! _ moment.

“Hyunjae, have you ever thought of asking him if he wanted a different type of milk? You know the reason why my order is an americano is because I’m lactose intolerant. Are you just presuming that this ‘hypothetical guy’ doesn’t get the shits from drinking full cream milk?”

The silence was suffocating as Sunwoo looked expectantly at Hyunjae, who realised his grave mistake.  _ What the fuck have I just done. _

“Oh shit.”

Hyunjae slammed his head into the counter as a groan that turned into quiet whining left his mouth, leaving a cackling Sunwoo bent over with his hands resting on his knees for support as the situation became all too funny to him. 

He piped up cheerfully, “Yeah, like literally oh shit cause his ass is probab-”

“Sunwoo. Shut up, I don’t want to hear it. Let me sulk in my own misery.”

Sunwoo threw his hands up in defense before he walked out of the coffee store, staring up at the night sky. He closed his eyes for a few seconds as he thought of Hyunjae’s relationship dilemma.

A friend who’s suffering because of a crush? Could never be him. His fear of commitment was strong, even in a relationship that made him feel like he had everything. In the end, he had been too scared that it would be taken away from him so he gave it away himself. And by his own doing, he broke the only person who had meant something to him. He couldn’t do anything to mend a broken heart that wasn't his own and his fear stemmed from the anxiety of the unknown. His selfishness had always gotten the better of him, especially in that particular relationship. Sunwoo shook himself as he came back to reality, storing his thoughts into a small box at the back of his mind before heading back to soccer training, his heart heavy and his mind laced with memories of the past.

\------

The snow had just begun to slow when Hyunjae closed up his shop for the day. Eric had left early because Sangyeon had finally asked Eric out on a date, which prompted Eric to melt into a blubbering mess and he had nearly fainted into Hyunjae’s arms.  _ Ah, the things love do to you. _ As he put the chairs up in the cafe, he saw a person standing outside, pacing left and right in front of the store. Hyunjae quickly put on his jacket and slugged his ‘You mean a latte to me’ tote bag over his shoulder before turning the lights off.

He opened the cafe doors, clearly shocking the person outside. The man turned around, staring at Hyunjae like he’d been caught in a theft. But Hyunjae recognised this person. Even with the flickering streetlight at the end of the road bearing the only light, Hyunjae could tell who he was from his almond shaped eyes and soft smile.

_ Jacob. _

“What are you doing here Jacob? Is there a milk emergency?” Hyunjae would generally say he was a funny guy, but this time he visibly cringed at himself at the immediate close of the joke’s delivery.

Jacob, though, laughed. An airy tone vibrated through the frosty air towards Hyunjae’s ears, like a blanket of comfort settling within him.

Jacob comes forward, eyes earnest. “I’m here to say sorry. I didn’t pick up the cues on your crying or sniffling and I just thought you were sa-”

Hyunjae had been confused the past few days and today was no exception. He was very confused as to why Jacob was apologising, and for Hyunjae’s allergy, no less - it was hardly Jacob’s fault that Hyunjae’s secret bouquet giver didn’t know about his hayfever.

“Why are you apologising?” he asked. “It was because of the flowers in my store. I’m just not on the greatest terms with pollen.” 

Jacob laughed again but this time he turned towards his car, opening the backseat and taking out a bouquet of red carnations. And it finally clicked. The way Jacob always came in smelling like flowers, the hints about his second job and his long stares at the bouquets that adorned Hyunjae’s front counter. It all made sense. 

Jacob pulled out a bottle of antihistamines before smiling brightly at Hyunjae.  _ What a dork. _

“I am your secret flower deliverer, until I found out you were basically enemies with anything that has pollen. But they say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?” he chuckled nervously. “In all seriousness I’m sorry for being oblivious, here’s a bottle of antihistamines as a sorry and my last bouquet of real flowers to you.”

Hyunjae laughed exuberantly as he walked towards Jacob, taking the bouquet from him before instantly sneezing. Jacob's smile grew wider as he watched Hyunjae struggle to keep another sneeze from coming out.

“Thank you Jacob. I really do love them, but I definitely will need those antihistamines. I will sneeze myself away if I don't take them. What do they mean by the way? My flower dictionary isn’t that advanced.”

Jacob grinned cheekily in response. “You can read the card attached. I wrote something this time.”

Hyunjae turned the flowers around to see a piece of paper hanging from the side of the bouquet. 

_ Red carnations: A heart that aches for you in admiration and love. _

Hyunjae looked up, shock evident in his face. He instantly wrapped his arms around Jacob, hugging him tightly before sneezing again. Hyunjae realised then that he hadn't apologised himself, so he lifted his head to face Jacob front on, face merely inches away from Jacob’s. Their noses touched lightly as Hyunjae stared at Jacob’s features - his hazel eyes, rosy cheeks and plump lips. He was perfect to Hyunjae and he couldn’t believe Jacob felt the same way he did.

“I’m so sorry for assuming you liked full cream milk.. I just thought you were fine with it. Next time, tell me what milk you want, I can’t read your mind, Cob.”

Jacob tightened his hold on Hyunjae’s waist before whispering lightly, “Even if you gave me another coffee with full cream milk, I’d go through the literal gut wrenching experience all again just for you.”

Before Hyunjae could laugh, Jacob caught his lips with his own, the feeling of bliss flooding his body, the kiss radiating with adoration and pure satisfaction. As he pulled away, Hyunjae looked at Jacob again before thinking,

_ So this is love. _

_\------_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!
> 
> I will hopefully be writing a bit more before I'm back to my studies :)


End file.
